Tapping
by Evernending Stories
Summary: Based on the flashback in episode 1x08, "Multiple Outs", this series will focus on the Black twins at various stages of their lives (I'll try to post things chronologically, but I may jump around).
1. Prologue

_"Just listen to the **tapping**. I'm right here. I will always be here." OR how tapping becomes Johnny's way of calming down his brother and helping him focus, and how it plays into their lives, from children, to teenagers, to adults._

* * *

It started when they were kids; Cam was stuck in an airtight container, handcuffed, with nothing but a flashlight and a lock pick. Any child would panic, but Cameron had always been especially sensitive. If the pressure from their father wasn't enough to make him anxious, the fact that he was running out of air by the second and could die if he didn't get out certainly was.

Despite what their father said about leaving Cameron alone to practice, Johnathan hadn't gone far. He never could bring himself to leave Cameron alone. So, of course, when Cameron screamed for help-for their father-Johnathan was close at hand. He came quickly and quietly into the room and went right up to the container. He immediately started speaking reassuringly through the lid. When Cameron begged to be let out, Johnathan wanted nothing more than to pull the lid off, but their father (in his insatiable need to make his sons the best in the world) had ensured that it could only be opened from the _inside_. All he could do was let his brother know that he was right there beside him.

So he started tapping on the lid and told Cam to focus on it. And he kept tapping until the moment that lid came off. It sort of became their thing, their little secret; not like the secret of them being twins that they shared with their father. This was something just between Cam and Johnny.

Their father never understood; sometimes he even found it annoying. Johnathan didn't care. It made Cameron feel better and it helped him focus, and that was all that mattered to him. Sebastian Black could get over it.

* * *

 _This is super super short, just a little prologue, but I intend on writing a lot more in later chapters!_


	2. Just Another Trick

They were thirteen and working on a new magic trick (of course). Johnathan had already mastered it, but Cameron was still struggling. It didn't help that their father yelled at him every time he botched it or was overly critical when it wasn't smooth enough.

"It has to be flawless, Cameron! It has to be as smooth, and easy as breathing! You can't hesitate!"

"I'm trying," Cam mumbled, his hands starting to shake.

"You're _failing_ ," Sebastian barked.

"He'll get it, Dad," Johnathan said confidently. "He always does." Their scoffed and shook his head in disgust before walking away. He did that a lot when they didn't do something perfectly the first time. Mostly with Cameron, because he let him. Cameron always just took it in, never arguing or standing up for himself. But Johnathan supposed that's what he was for; to protect his brother when he wouldn't, _couldn't_ , defend himself. Johnathan watched for a moment as his brother struggled and sighed. "Cam," he said quietly.

"I **can** do it," Cameron said with something like defiance in his voice. Pity he couldn't get like this when their father was actually _in_ the room.

Johnny smiled. "I know you can."

Cameron glanced at his twin, then toward the door Sebastian had left through, then returned his focus to the trick at hand. "I just get so nervous when he's watching, and he always yells-"

"You gotta block him out, Cam. We've talked about this."

Cameron should his head hard. "I can't. I can't do it, Johnny."

"Yes you can," Johnny said reassuringly. Cam shook his head harder and Johnny stood up and walked over to his brother so he could rest his hands on Cameron's shoulders. "Hey, look at me." He waited. " _Yes. You._ **Can.** You've just gotta practice. Just like every other trick." He winked and smiled brightly when it made Cameron laugh, even if it was only a brief chuckle. Johnathan squeezed his brother's shoulders than went back to his seat at the table. "Now try it again." He started tapping on the table at an even beat and saw Cameron's shoulders visibly relax, just like they always did. Cameron nodded and tried again, his hands almost moving in time with the beat Johnathan was tapping out. Johnathan went back to work on his book of puzzles; it was supposedly one of the harder ones, but Johnny had started on the book that morning and he was already halfway through it. As he went, he kept tapping his knuckle on the table, and watched Cameron's progress out of the corner of his eye.

He was getting better with each try. After several minutes, Johnathan could barely catch the sleight of hand- and that was saying something. His tapping persisted. A few more minutes passed and Johnathan subtly turned his head to give his twin his full attention. Cameron had it down.

"Cam, that was per-"

"About damn time," Sebastian growled. Both brothers jumped, but poor Cam nearly fell over in his shock. Their father rolled his eyes. "Pull yourself together. Do it again. I need to know you can do it without being coddled."

Cameron blanched and Johnathan could see him losing his nerve. He caught his brother's eye and nodded almost imperceptibly, just enough to reassure Cam. Cameron nodded back just as subtly and took a deep breath before starting again. They moved as one; Cameron performing the trick flawlessly and Johnathan tapping all the while to remind his brother that was right there with him. Always.


	3. One Tap For Yes

Cameron was always the on-stage personality. Always. He was the better performer, their dad said. He had more _presence_ , more _personality_ , their dad said. Johnathan wanted to point out that it was _easy_ for _Cameron_ to have more personality because it was _his personality_ , unlike the secret, shadow twin who was only ever allowed to mimic him majority of the time. The only reason Johnathan **didn't** say this was because he was worried Cameron would overhear him; he never wanted his brother to feel guilty over their situation, because it wasn't his fault, and Johnathan didn't mind most of the time anyway.

Cameron was always the one on-stage, except for the time that he wasn't.

He'd gotten tonsillitis (again) and had to have his tonsils removed. For the most part, it was a blessing. Cam wouldn't get sick so often anymore, which meant their father wouldn't have to force him to 'work through the pain' as much, and Johnny could worry a lot less. The downside was that Cam's throat hurt so much, he couldn't talk, which was sort of essential for performing. That's how Johnny ended up on stage.

Johnathan would never admit it to their dad, but he was actually really excited. He was always the one in the box or behind the curtain. He was always the one waiting. Sure, he got to enjoy the applause, but he was rarely the one who got to actually perform. All Johnny ever had to do was smile, bow, and wave and then he walked off stage; all of which Cam could do easily until he got his voice back. Johnathan didn't think about it being an issue for Cameron (who didn't necessarily love being in the spotlight all the time) until his brother started panicking inside the box that would hide under the stage. Cameron didn't say a word-he couldn't, with his sore throat-but the box knocked around ever so slightly, and. . Johnathan just knew, in the way they always seemed to know something was wrong with the other.

Screw the trick, screw the show, Johnathan needed to know what was going on with Cameron. He quite literally dropped what he was doing and nearly ripped the lid off. "Cam? What is- Whoa!" Cameron popped up and lunged forward like a freaking Jack-in-the-Box, and it sent Johnathan stumbling back a few steps. He recovered quickly and moved back to where he'd been standing. "Whoa, okay. Easy. You okay? Cam?" Cameron jerkily shook his head and nearly fell over as he tried to climb out of the box. His skin was pale, but his cheeks were flushed and he was sweating; Johnathan's mind immediately went to infection, which the doctors told his father was a possibility when they took Cameron's tonsils out. He immediately reached out to help Cameron out of the box and he was once again taken by surprise when his twin practically collapsed in his arms. "Geez! Cameron, _what_ is going on?"

Cameron wasn't okay, that much was painfully obvious. Johnathan lowered them both to the floor and held his brother tightly in his arms. His first instinct was to protect his twin, he just didn't know what he needed protecting _from_.

"Cam, buddy, you gotta let me know what's going on. One tap for yes, two for no. Okay?" Because he wasn't about to let go just to see Cam's face; not when he was clinging so tightly to Johnathan, with his head buried in his shoulder. Cameron thumped his shoulder once to let him know he understood. "Good job," he praised as he rubbed his brother's back a little. Cameron felt a little warm, but that could have been from being in the box; it wasn't airtight, but it wasn't exactly breezy in there, either. "Are you feeling sick?" Two taps. "Were you having trouble breathing?" Again, the box wasn't airtight, but Johnathan knew better than anyone how stale the air could get in there, and he was sure it wasn't good for someone recovering from surgery in their throat. Two more taps. "Okay. . ." Johnathan took a moment, thinking of how he could phrase a question in a 'yes or no' manner and get the information he needed to help, and then it hit him. He felt like an idiot for not putting it together sooner.

It had gotten better over the years, but ever since that night when their father locked him in that damn tank, Cameron had not been the same. Near-death experiences tended to change your perspective on things, like small spaces.

"It was the box. . it's too small, right?" Johnathan sighed. Cameron tapped his shoulder once and let out a shuddering breath. " **God** , Cam, why didn't you _say_ something?" Cameron huffed in response, and Johnathan could feel the irritation. "I _know_ you can't actually talk right now, but _you_ know that's not what I mean." There were other ways to communicate, clearly. "You didn't even try to fight Dad on it, you just got right in. . . Did you think it wouldn't bother you anymore?" One tap. "I know it's been a few years, but Cam, come on, you still get nervous in stalls in public bathrooms." Cameron tensed, and he could feel the question behind the change in posture. "I _just know_ , that's how. Why? Does it bother you that I know you that well?" A pause. Two taps. "Good." Johnathan rested his chin on Cameron's shoulder and looked at the box. "Well, we'll have to tell Dad we can't do the show." Two rather frantic taps, and Cameron started pulling away and shaking his head. " **Yes** , Cam. I'm not letting you get back in there and freak out by yourself." Cameron tapped his shoulder once, firmly, and stared at his twin stubbornly. "Cameron. . _Why_ is this so important to you?"

"Dad," Cameron rasped. It was clear from the wince that immediately followed that he regretted speaking.

"To hell with Dad!" Johnathan yelled. " _Screw_ him, _and_ the show, **and** the disappearing act! I don't _care_ about **any** of that, I care about **you**. That's it!" Cameron got that smile, the really innocent one that said he was just happy to be there, to be included, the one that made Johnathan want to wrap him in bubble wrap and never let him leave the house. **How** had his brother ended up _so damn innocent?_ "You really wanna get back in there?" He pointed to the box. "It's _that_ important to you?"

He saw the hesitation on Cameron's face, the way he glanced back at the box nervously, and the determination set in his features in spite of it. Johnathan knew the answer before he received the one tap. No, Cameron _didn't_ want to do it, but he would, anyway, because it was important to their father and so important to him. Unlike Johnathan, he was so desperate to get their father's approval. He huffed in defeat because he knew he couldn't change his brother's mind with the show just hours away.

"Okay. . We'll have to find a way to keep you from freaking out, then."

 ** _~~~later that night~~~_**

It turned out to be pretty simple, actually. The wooden floor of the stage carried sound quite well when you were underneath it, so Johnathan had (in his humble opinion) the _brilliant idea_ of tapping his foot on the floor while he performed. Cameron would be able to hear it from inside the box, and he could focus on _that_ instead of panicking. Johnathan had even had Cameron time him, counting the taps instead of seconds, so he knew exactly how long he'd be in there.

Sebastian gave Johnathan several looks while they were on stage, but the beauty of performing with his father was that he couldn't yell at him until _after_ the show. He stopped tapping his foot exactly three seconds before he 'disappeared', and then he was the one waiting on his brother. He stood just behind the curtain and watched his brother smile and wave at the crowd. Cam and their dad took several bows, then headed backstage as the curtain came down. Cam went straight to Johnathan and his waiting arms. "Did it help?" Johnny asked quietly so their father wouldn't hear; because Cam didn't want him to know that he was scared, in case Daddy Dearest tried to 'help' him get over it.

One tap.

* * *

 _I got the idea for this one after watching "Multiple Outs" a second time, from the conversation Johnathan and Kay have at the end, when he said Cameron got sick and didn't make it to the show that MW referenced. It made me think about the possibility of Cam being sick a lot when they were younger, which is where the whole tonsillitis/tonsillectomy bit came into play. Plus I just liked the idea of the taps not just being about Johnny reassuring Cam, but of a way for them to actually communicate._


	4. Tapping on the Glass

Johnathan wasn't allowed to visit Cameron while he was in the hospital; Sebastian didn't want to risk someone seeing him, recognizing him, and figuring out their secret. After sixteen years of living like this, Johnathan was used to it. That didn't mean he was okay with it.

Or that he was obedient to his father's wishes anymore.

He wasn't an dumb enough to visit Cam in broad daylight, or to go without some sort of disguise. He wasn't even reckless enough to go in his brother's room. While their father was with Cam at the hospital, Johnny spent the rest of the day planning out his visit, down to the rigging he'd use to scale the building. He'd never tell anyone how he managed to find out what room his brother was in. After all, if he'd only learned one thing from the great Sebastian Black, it was to _never_ reveal his secrets. And anyway, the important thing was that he knew his brother's room was on the third floor, in the middle of the hallway, on the east side. Johnathan smiled to himself as he lowered himself over the edge of the roof. As much as Cameron hated being stuck in a hospital room, he'd appreciate the view of the sunrise in the morning.

Johnathan slowly repelled down the side of the building until he reached the window to his brother's room. The blinds were down, but open enough for him to see his brother lying in bed, alone in the room. He was also able to see the way Cameron's fingers tapped rapidly against the blanket covering him, one after the other. Johnathan raised his hand to the glass and matched Cameron's rhythm with his own fingers. Cam's hand froze and he raised his head to look at the window.

"That you, Johnny?" One tap. Yes. "Are you here to bust me out?" Cameron asked hopefully. Two taps. "Oh, come on," he complained quietly, so as not to attract the night nurse's attention. Two taps. "I'm not even hurt that bad," Cameron argued as he tried to push himself up on his elbows. The effort made his face contort in pain, but he stubbornly held himself up. "See? I'm fine." Two (rather emphatic) taps. Cameron huffed, but let himself drop back down to the bed; he tried to hide the groan that followed and was mostly successful. "You're the worst brother ever," he informed the ceiling. That got him three taps. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head toward the window. "Did you seriously just reply _'maybe'_?"

Johnny grinned. Of course Cam would know what three taps meant. Johnathan tapped the window once in reply. And got a dry chuckle in return, which quickly turned into a groan.

" _Oooh-_ Ow. Don't make me laugh, Johnny. . hurts." Cameron held his ribs and lay still as he could, with only shallow breaths. As if he could hear his brother's worry, Cameron turned his head toward the window again. "I'm okay, Johnny." Johnathan frowned and tapped the window twice. "No, really, I am. Just a little sore." He stared out the window for a long time, and Johnathan knew his twin was trying to see him through the blinds and the darkness. "You should go home. Dad's gonna notice that you've left," he said reluctantly. Johnathan tapped the window once, because he knew Cameron was right, but he didn't move. Cameron closed his eyes and Johnathan thought his brother was trying to get some sleep. He was just starting to haul himself back up when Cam spoke again. "You still there?" he asked quietly.

Johnathan tapped the glass once. "I'm here, Cam," he whispered.

"Could you. . maybe. . ." Johnathan tapped once and Cameron smiled tiredly. "You don't even know what I'm gonna ask."

"Doesn't matter," Johnathan whispered and tapped the glass again.

Cameron rolled just so slightly to the side so he was facing the window more. "Could you stay a little while? . . It's too quiet here. I feel like I'm going crazy." In response, Johnathan started tapping all of his fingers against the glass again, a constant tempo. Johnathan watched his brother's body relax into the bed and his eyelids slide shut. "Thanks, Johnny," he sighed. Johnathan would stay all night if that's what his brother wanted, but Cameron eventually said, "You really should go. . Dad'll be pissed. ." One (very reluctant) tap. He knew he had to go, but he hated leaving his brother by himself. "See you tomorrow." Another tap and then Johnathan hauled himself up. He was gone longer than he intended, but he could handle their dad when he could get home. The important thing was being there for his brother.

* * *

 _How does no one notice a teenage boy hanging off the side of a hospital? *jazz hands* Magic._

 _But seriously, I didn't really care about that part, I just liked this idea and ran with it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter full of brotherly love!_


	5. Big Brother's Watching

_Heads up that this is more Cam whump (I didn't realize how big a sucker I was for it until I started writing this, haha). I already have plans for the next chapter and it'll be less whumpy. Or. . . The whump will be more evenly distributed between the twins? We'll see._

* * *

At eighteen, the Black brothers may have been **technically** and **legally** adults, but that by no means meant they were _actually_ grown up. Especially where Cameron was concerned. He had a _lways been_ , and _would always be_ , a big kid. Johnathan loved that about his brother, but some days he felt like there was a gap of several **years** between them instead of several minutes.

Today was one of those days.

Cameron wanted to practice a stunt that _even their father_ had said was still too dangerous until they worked out the finer details. Of course, Johnathan had to put his foot down immediately before Cam could even voice the idea.

"Absolutely not," Johnathan said after seeing the look he knew all too well.

Cameron had the gall to look offended. "I didn't even say anything."

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to. I _know_ that look. It's the look you've gotten before doing every stupid thing that's ever landed you in an ER. You're not getting up in that harness until Dad finishes making sure it's safe." Then _Johnathan_ would make sure it was safe, because he'd stopped trusting Sebastian's judgement a long time ago. He only even mentioned Sebastian because he knew that, for Cam, Father knew best. If their dad said it was safe, Cameron would believe him.

Johnathan had to fight a smile when his brother put on an honest-to-God pout and crossed his arms like a huffy child. "Not every stupid thing has landed me in the ER, Johnny," he grumbled. Johnathan rolled his eyes at the truly pathetic reply. "Come on, Johnny, I won't even go that high!"

"Cam, **no,** " Johnny said firmly. "It's not secure, and you'll break your neck when you fall- and you _will fall,_ Cameron." He raised his eyebrows and stared at his brother pointedly, making sure he got the message that Big Brother was serious, before going back to fiddling with his Pyraminx Crystal; he'd mastered Rubik's cubes years ago, and found this little puzzle toy a week ago. So far it was proving delightfully challenging.

"I'm offended by your lack of faith in me," Cameron huffed.

"It's not a lack of faith, Cam, it's experience. You have a bad habit of leaping without even _thinking_ about looking where you might fall and getting yourself hurt as a result," Johnathan said without looking up.

Cameron snickered. "Didn't take you for the poetic type, Johnny."

"It's not poetry; you've _literally_ jumped off of things without looking at the distance," Johnny deadpanned. "You broke your leg twice." It was the _same_ leg, in the **same place,** too. Cameron was oddly talented at getting himself hurt in the most idiotic and avoidable ways.

"Well, here's hoping my luck's improved."

Johnathan frowned and looked up. "What are you talking abou- What the **hell,** Cam?! _What_ did I say about getting in that thing?!"

If he'd been paying attention to his reckless brother, he would have noticed the little punk slipping into the harness. That's what he got for trying to take a moment to enjoy himself. Watching out for Cameron was a 24/7 job and he should've known better than to take a break for even a second.

"Get out of that thing, Cameron," Johnathan demanded, even as his foolhardy brother hoisted himself off the ground. "Seriously. Get back down here before you hurt yourself."

Cameron grinned madly at him. "You worry too much!"

Johnathan slammed the puzzle toy down on a nearby table and glared at his brother. He moved closer, hoping to catch his brother (or at least cushion his fall) in case something went wrong. " _You_ don't worry **enough** ," he retorted. "Get. Down." Cameron smirked down at his brother tauntingly and proceeded to hoist himself up another few feet. The rigging groaned and Johnathan's eyes grew wide. "Cameron, seriously, get down. Now."

"Johnathan, _seriously_ , stop worrying. It'll be fine!"

"What _the hell_ do you think you're doing?" Johnathan spun around and felt relief for the first time in years when he saw Sebastian striding across the stage. Surely their father could talk some sense into his idiot brother. "Didn't I tell you to stay away from this thing until I'd made sure it was safe for you?" the older magician snapped.

Cameron groaned. "Not you, too, Dad! I've just been telling Johnathan that it's perfectly fine as long as I don't go. . too high. . ." His voice trailed off as the groaning of the rigging grew louder. Something snapped and Cameron's weight shifted abruptly, and he nearly lost his grip on the ropes.

Johnathan and Sebastian did their best to coach him on how best to get himself down, but the only problem was they _didn't agree_ on what way was best. Talking over each other quickly devolved into arguing, but soon it didn't matter either way; Cameron lost his grip and slammed into the stage floor. **Hard.**

"Cameron!" Johnathan screamed his brother's name and practically dove to his side. Cameron was out cold.

 _ **~~~a few hours (and a trip to the ER) later~~~**_

"A concussion. Of course you got a damn concussion, you idiot! I told you!"

Cameron gave Johnathan a groggy smile. "To be fair, you said I'd break my neck when I fell, sooo. . You were only half right, Johnny boy."

Johnathan had to resist the urge to smack his brother in the back of the head as he got him settled on the couch; no hitting his brother when he already had a head injury. "You're lucky you didn't end up paralyzed," he scolded.

"A fat lotta good you were. Some brother you are, letting me fall on the floor. I thought you _cared_."

He knew Cameron was joking, but he still felt a pang of guilt at the jab. "You wouldn't have needed anyone to catch you if you'd listened to me in the first place," Johnathan reminded him. "For once, could you _not_ do the thing that could cripple or kill you?"

Cameron turned his head a little and grinned. "But then your life would be boring."

Johnathan groaned and plopped down next to him. He was on concussion watch, making sure his brother didn't fall asleep and slip into a coma, and had already put in a movie that would (hopefully) keep his brother's attention. Cameron leaned over to rest his head on Johnathan's shoulder. Johnathan allowed it for a minute or so before he noticed his brother's eyes sliding shut. "Hey, nuh-uh! No sleeping," he said urgently and immediately started lightly tapping Cameron's cheek. "No. Sleeping. Keep your eyes open, Cam."

Cameron huffed and brushed his hand away. "Johnathan- Get off. Stop it!"

"No sleeping," Johnathan repeated seriously.

"Yeah, fine, I get it," Cameron grumbled. "Stop poking my face."

After that, Johnathan spent the rest of the movie watching his brother. Cameron would be fine for a stretch of ten minutes or so, but then his head would start drooping forward or to the side, and Johnathan would start tapping again. He moved around just in case Cam got used to the feeling; tapping his cheek, his forehead, sometimes even his neck. The goal was to annoy Cameron enough to keep him awake and mostly alert. He just had to keep Cameron awake for six hours, whether his brother appreciated his vigilant efforts or not. And, for the record, Cameron _did not_ appreciate his brother's efforts.

He whined, he yelled, he swatted Johnathan's hands away numerous times, he weakly glared at his twin over what he considered a great injustice at not being allowed to go to sleep.

Johnathan didn't even pretend to be sorry. "I'm not letting you slip into a coma and **die**. You can't leave me alone with _Dad_ , Cam, we'll kill each other within a week." Johnathan's tone was light, but he was serious. There was no way they'd survive the other's company without Cameron as a buffer. "Want me to stop tapping and poking you? Stop falling asleep."

They passed the next few hours sitting on the couch, watching movies, repeating the same cycle; Johnathan watched Cameron, Cameron did his best to stay awake for as long as he could, he start dozing off, Johnathan started tapping him. The moment Johnathan announced the six hour mark, Cameron groaned, "Finally," and flopped over in his brother's lap. Johnny smiled fondly, but started tapping his brother's cheek again. "What _now?_ " Cam demanded.

"I just thought you might want to sleep in your bed."

* * *

 _Note: the Pyraminx Crystal is basically the original Megaminx (which is that weird, geometric looking Rubik's cube). I couldn't find out when the Megaminx had been made, but the Pyraminx Crystal was made in 1982, which means a teenage Johnathan could have been playing around with it! I know it's just a toy, briefly mentioned, and doesn't really matter, but I hate anachronisms._

 _Extra Note: I know that it's not considered safe to let someone sleep when they've sustained a concussion (unless their pupils are blown or they have slurred speech), but the boys were born in the late 80's, when it was widely believed you had to keep someone awake for at least six hours, so they would mostly have been taught that growing up._


	6. How to Survive

_"You see, my brother and I, we grew up on the road, performing in my father's show. Strange city after strange city. A lot of sketchy promoters, always paid in cash, so we were easy targets for thieves. Our dad, he taught us more than just magic. . . **He taught us how to survive.** " _

* * *

Johnathan was pacing around the living room. Cameron had gone out for food, which meant that Johnathan was once again stuck inside until his brother got back, because they couldn't be out at the same time and run the risk of being spotted; they weren't _quite_ as famous as their father, but they were approaching the same renown. People certainly knew who Cameron was, if only as "The Disappearing Boy".

"Stop that pacing," Sebastian barked. "I can't think with all that stomping." Defiantly, Johnathan made his steps a little heavier as he continued to pace. He glared at his father when he looked up with a silent dare to make him stop. All he got was a frustrated sigh and a shake of the head before Sebastian returned his attention to his blue prints for another trick he was working on (because Sebastian was almost always working on another stunt for his sons to pull off). Johnathan smirked as he paced around the room, glancing out the window every few seconds. Sebastian was getting older, and was much less inclined to start a fight with his son; especially now that Johnathan was old enough that, if it came to blows (which it had in the past), he could possibly _win_.

"Cam should be back by now," Johnathan muttered.

"I'm sure he's fine," Sebastian assured without much feeling. He did care about his sons. . in his own way. He just wasn't very good at showing it.

Unsurprisingly, his father's words did nothing to reassure him. Johnathan felt a pit growing in his stomach. It wasn't just that he wanted to get out of the house (which he did). Something just felt off, and he needed Cameron to get home so he could know his brother was okay. Johnathan had lost track of how many turns he'd taken around the room, but at one point, he happened to look out the window and something caught his eye. He stopped and pressed his face against the window to get a better view of the struggle happening across the street. He could see three men of considerable size ganging up on one rather gangly guy. Johnathan felt sort of bad for the sucker, but it wasn't until his hood fell off to reveal all-too-familiar curly blond hair that he felt a jolt of concern and fear. "Cam," he breathed.

He bolted for the room he and Cameron shared and hastily pulled on two right shoes; he had no time to find the other pair for either, not when his brother was being backed into an alley by three goons. He had nearly reached the stairs when there was suddenly his father in his path. "Move," Johnathan snapped.

"You can't go out there," Sebastian said sternly.

"Then _you_ go!"

Sebastian face was stone. "Cameron knows how to fend for himself, Johnathan. And if he doesn't, then it's time he learned. We can't always-" He was cut off when Johnathan's fist slammed into the side of his jaw.

"Cam doesn't need to fend for himself. He has _me_ ," Johnathan said coldly. His progress to the stairs was once again impeded by his useless father. Sebastian had a hold on his arm that he couldn't easily twist out of. "Get the hell off me, old man!"

Sebastian caught the punch he threw this time and started manhandling him away from the stairs. "I can't let you go out there. We've kept the secret for this long, Johnathan, and I won't have it destroyed over sentimentality."

"Sentimen- He's your son!" Johnathan screamed indignantly. "But if you can't be bothered to care about him as a father, how about as a performer? How's Cameron going to be any use to you if he's dead?" The very thought of Cameron dying sent a wave of terror through him. Cam couldn't die. He wasn't _allowed_ to die. He had to get to his brother, and he had to get to him now. There was a dull roar in his ears that drowned out whatever fresh BS his father was spouting and he did the only thing he could with both arms held in iron grips; he leaned back and slammed his head forward into Sebastian's. When his father let go, he threw another punch (this one sending the man to the floor) and practically flew down the stairs.

He remembered to pull his hood up on his way out, but he couldn't remember if he actually shut the door. It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to Cameron without getting hit by a car as he dashed across the street to the alley where his brother had disappeared.

It wasn't too surprising to see Cameron mostly holding his own. Johnathan had to grudgingly admit that their father **had** taught them how to defend themselves. But the boys weren't even twenty yet, and still more on the lanky side, and Cameron had always been more of a 'hug it out' kinda guy, or he would distract someone by wowing them with magic. Plus there were three other guys. Well. It was time to even things up.

Two of the men had Cameron's arms while the third got ready to deal what was sure to be a heavy blow. Johnathan walked right up to him and tapped his shoulder. The man turned around with confusion on his face (because who politely taps a mugger on the shoulder?) and Johnathan flashed him a smile. "Hi there," was all he said before punching him as hard as he could, sending the man staggering back with both hands over his broken nose. Cameron didn't miss a beat. He used the distraction to stamp his foot hard on one of the other men's toes, and tugged his arm free.

The rest of the fight was a blur, but the brothers worked in perfect unison together. By the time they were done, the men were just barely conscious, all three of them lying in a heap, groaning. The sound of a police siren was fast approaching and Cameron turned to his twin. "Johnny, you gotta get back inside."

"Really, Cam? I don't even get a 'thank you' for saving your ass?"

Cam grinned and hugged his brother quickly. "Thank you," he said before pulling back. "But you really do have to get inside. I'll be fine, now that they're down."

Johnathan didn't budge, though. "What are you gonna tell the police?"

"The truth. . mostly. I'll say that they attacked me on my way home, that they beat me up a bit, but I managed to get the drop on them. . . I'll say that I got lucky." And he _was_ lucky to have been born with Johnny as his brother.

"They're gonna talk, Cam. They'll say there were two of you." His hood had fallen down, they would have seen that the boys were identical.

Cameron shrugged. "They're total **tweakers,** Johnathan. The police won't believe anything they say." Johnathan still hesitated, but Cameron pushed him back onto the street, toward the house. "Go. I'll be back soon, okay?" Johnathan reluctantly went back to the house; he'd left the door wide open. Oh well. He made his way up the stairs and found his father sitting at the table again, a bag of frozen corn held to his jaw.

"You've got quite a right hook, son," Sebastian said as a greeting.

"Careful," Johnathan warned. "You almost sound proud."

Sebastian shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. Johnathan slumped in the chair across from him and viciously tamped down that little boy in him that still wanted Daddy's approval. That was Cameron's schtick, not his.

"I see we're still one Black short," Sebastian stated obviously.

Johnathan glanced at his father before picking up a pencil lying on the table and balancing it on his finger. "Police got called. Don't worry. . I was gone before they could see me. And Cam said the guys who jumped him were addicts, so the police shouldn't buy it if they try to sell them a story about a magical, disappearing doppelganger."

He jumped when his father reached across the table to take his hand. "You sure it was a man you were punching, not a brick wall?" he chuckled drying.

"Um. . Yeah. . I'm sure." Though he wasn't sure how to handle this. . camaraderie that seemed to be brewing between him and his father. His father stood and walked over to the freezer, and then Cameron was bounding up the stairs before he could think about it too much. "That was. . quick." Johnathan needed the distraction of hearing Cameron's story.

Cam grinned. "Luckily I got the bruises on my face to sell my story. But you shoulda _seen_ the looks on their faces, Johnny," he laughed. "I could tell they were wondering how a scrawny kid took out three bulked up druggies, but the cops weren't exactly buying their story about there being two of me, so- They didn't have much choice. And then I told 'em I didn't want to press charges or anything, so all they could do was arrest 'em for being high, drunk and disturbers of the peace." Despite having had the crap beat out of him, Cameron looked elated as he plopped down casually into the seat that had previously been occupied by their father. "You should have seen us, Dad," he said over his shoulder. "We were awesome. Johnny especially- He just popped right up behind the one guy, who was totally about to break my face-by the way, Johnny, thanks for that-and he just says 'Hi there' then **BOOM!** " Cameron punctuated his yell by pounding his fist into his hand. "Broke the guy's nose with one punch! It was awesome, seriously- The hell happened to _you?_ " His excitement quickly faded to curiosity and concern when he saw his father's own face bruised.

Sebastian almost smiled as he handed each twin their own bag of frozen vegetables (really, as often as they got hurt from stunts, you'd think they'd invest in _real_ ice packs, but Sebastian was too cheap for it). "Oh, I had my own experience with one of your brother's punches." Cameron's concern visibly grew as he looked between his father and twin out of one eye, the other being covered by frozen, mixed veggies. "Glad to hear it got put to good use." Johnathan was so focused on the frozen peas he was holding over his badly bruised, split knuckles, he didn't see his father reach over to pat his shoulder. Once again he jumped at the unexpected touch. "Looks like you were right, Johnathan. Good thing you went after him." Sebastian walked away to his bedroom calling, "Goodnight, boys," over his shoulder just before closing the door.

"What. . happened with you two? Dad's almost complimenting you? Telling you you were right?" Cameron asked incredulously, but Johnathan didn't seem to be paying attention. "Johnny? John? . . . Johnathan?" Cameron tapped the table urgently. "John!"

"Yeah! What?" Johnathan jumped for the third time that night.

"Everything okay?" Cameron asked worriedly.

"Yeah. . . Yeah, Cam, everything's. . fine. . ." Johnathan shook his head and readjusted the frozen vegetables on his hand. "Weird night."

* * *

 _I said I was going to try to make the next chapter either less about Cameron whump, or make it about Johnathan **and** Cameron whump. I elected to choose option two._

 _So. Reason for the sorta OOC (in terms of how I've been writing him/talking about him in previous chapters) Sebastian Black: I have a hard time believing that Sebastian didn't care about his boys at all. Like Cameron said, he taught them how to survive. He taught them to take care of themselves and, I'm sure, each other. I believe he did/does (do we know if he's alive still?) love his boys, he just had a really weird way of showing it._

 _Anyway, I hope y'all liked the chapter! The whole 'tapping' theme was super subtle in this one, but I like how it turned out._


	7. Prison Talk

_So, I decided to do something a little different this chapter, and make it a little more fluffy. I'm also jumping ahead to the show time, so the Black brothers are all grown up in this one. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Dina did her best to not let old feelings (good _or_ bad) resurface while she spoke with Johnathan. Not when he looked at her with those deep, soulful eyes, not when he tried to apologize for what he'd done, not when his voice cracked as he told her how badly he _didn't want_ to fight, or even when he held her hand. She was mostly successful. Dina knew she would always care for both of the brothers, no matter what happened between any of them. They were her family. Anything else. . . Well, she could deal with that once they got Johnny out of this miserable place.

They were silent for a while, just holding hands, looking at each other, and feeling the weight of all of the things that would need to be said eventually. Dina lowered her eyes to their joined hands and opened her mouth to speak, but Johnathan beat her to it.

"How's Cam?" he asked with that gentle concern that was generally reserved just for his twin.

Dina smiled softly at him. "You're in prison, fighting like hell. . . and you ask about Cameron?" It was typical Johnathan, really. She wasn't all that surprised if she was being honest. Johnathan shrugged in response. "You've seen him, Johnny. You've talked to him. You know how he's doing."

"I know Cam will always say he's fine, especially when he's not," Johnathan replied. "How is he **really?** That Agent Daniels isn't giving him too much freedom to operate, is she? 'Cause you know that Cam will do all kinds of reckless stuff if no one stops him, and then he gets himself hurt, and he won't tell anyone until he absolutely has to, and-"

" _Breathe,_ Johnny." Dina squeezed his hand tightly and covered it with her other hand. "He's fine, really. . . For the most part, anyway."

Johnathan frowned deeply. "What does _that_ mean?"

Dina sighed. "It means. . . Cameron has spent his whole life with one major safety net: you. It didn't matter how crazy things got, how hard a trick was, how bad the situation- He always had _you_ , darling. You kept him focused, steady. Now, with you in here. . ." She bit her lips together for a moment. "He's struggling. He spirals, sometimes, and it generally takes all three of us to calm him down and keep his head in the game. You know how he is." Johnathan **did** know, that was what worried him. He was ready to press Dina for more information, but it turned out he didn't need to. "He's started tapping."

He wasn't sure he heard her right. "He started what?"

"Tapping," Dina answered simply. "You know. . When he starts feeling overwhelmed or anxious. . It would drive us mad if we didn't know _why_ he was doing it."

Johnathan felt a simultaneous pang of guilt and nostalgia. "I haven't done that in years," he said in a slightly husky voice.

"You haven't needed to. He's been in charge of his own stunts for years, he has a team who _listens to him_ and doesn't push him to his breaking point-" Unlike _someone_ who was quite lucky he never met Dina, or he wouldn't have been long for this world. "-and, most importantly, he had you there, right beside him. With you so out of reach, I think he's falling back on old coping mechanisms to, well. . **cope.** "

He didn't know how to respond to that; he was too overcome with too many emotions. Mostly, Johnathan just wanted to wrap his arms around Cam and tell him it was all going to be okay. The team knew Cam pretty well-better than most-and he knew they would look out for the incorrigible man, but no one would take care of him like Johnathan could. It was mostly because no one could read Cameron Black as well as the twin who spent their entire lives studying him and mimicking him perfectly. "You would think. ." Johnny started slowly. "That for all the time he's spent around people, Cam would be better at being by himself, but. . . he's not." Of course, by 'by himself', Johnathan meant 'without me'. "I hoped that now that we're adults, and he has you, the team. . . I thought he'd be okay." He wasn't one for optimism, usually, but in this case, he'd indulged himself.

"He is, Johnny," Dina said soothingly. "He _is_ okay, for the most part. The cases keep him busy, which keeps him from obsessing. . but when he's not obsessing over your case, he feels like he's failing you, then he starts to put all this pressure on himself. It's- It's a vicious cycle, Johnny, but one that we're helping him manage. He's not chugging those little five-hour energy drinks every couple of hours to avoid sleeping, so that's something." She couldn't help chuckling when Johnathan groaned and ran his free hand down his face.

"Please don't remind me- I thought we were going to have to tie his hyper ass to his bed until he crashed. He slept for about twenty hours after that, didn't he?" It was rhetorical, and he knew Dina knew it. Johnathan knew exactly how long it was, because he'd sat with Cameron for nearly the whole twenty-one hours (and twelve minutes, forty-seven seconds).

"Something like that," she agreed with a fond smile. They'd been in their early twenties, and the team had only been together for a few years, then. She couldn't remember what Cameron thought he needed to stay awake for, only how worried they'd all been; none of them more worried than Johnathan. "But like I said, he hasn't fallen back on that particular old habit. All things considered, I think he's alright. He's just worried about you."

Johnathan started tapping unconsciously and almost smiled. Almost. "Of course he is. He worries about everyone but himself." Cameron had always been like that. Granted, in this instance, he had plenty of reasons to be worried about Johnathan.

"Right. And you never do that," Dina said with a knowing smirk. "You're far too sensible."

Johnathan looked offended. "I worry about myself plenty." Especially in the past year he'd been incarcerated.

"But you worry about Cam more."

He couldn't argue that, so he only offered Dina a look that said 'Well, yeah, of course.'

"Well, I should- I should probably. . be getting back," she said, almost reluctantly. She was glad she'd come, was glad she'd been able to see Johnny for herself, but it also opened up some not-too-old wounds that she'd worked very hard to patch up.

Johnathan nodded like he understood, and he really did. He'd honestly never expected Dina to come visit him, or ever speak to him again, really. This was a small miracle as far as he was concerned. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just- Wait for a second." Johnathan tightened his grip on her hand when Dina tried to stand up. "Next time Cam gets like that. . . Could you call me?"

"He's not gonna like that," Dina said softly. It wasn't a refusal, though.

"Dina, please."

She nodded finally and squeezed his hand. "Alright, Johnny. Alright," she promised. Dina walked to the door and signaled the guard to let her out. Just before she left, she turned back to Johnathan. "Stay safe, Johnny."

* * *

 _Okay. I've been working on this sporadically for about a week, whenever inspiration hit me, so some ideas may be a tad disjointed. This is by no means my best chapter, but I really like how this turned out. I think I'm gonna make it a two-parter of sorts, with there actually being a phone call where Johnny calms Cam down._

 _Thank you all so much for reading this story! Reviews are always appreciated; I love reading what you think._


	8. Just A Phone Call Away

"Hello Johnny," Dina answered wearily.

Johnathan frowned. "Dina? I could've sworn I called Cam-"

"You did, but Cameron's. . . I was actually just about to call you," she admitted.

"What happened?" Johnathan demanded.

Dina paused for a moment and she must have moved the phone away from her face because her voice seemed muffled when she said, "Your phone's right here, darling. ." Johnathan didn't know if Cameron moved closer to Dina or if she put the phone on speaker, but suddenly he could hear his brother's voice clearly.

". . . not to call him!"

"I _didn't_ call him, Cam, he called you." Her voice was gentle, but firm. Johnathan could imagine Dina leveling his brother with a firm 'do _not_ snap at me' sort of look. "If you hadn't been so fixated on the case, maybe you would've noticed your phone ringing." Johnathan could hear Cameron indistinct grumbling and he new for sure that Dina had put the phone on speaker. Though even if he hadn't been, Dina confirmed it seconds later. "Johnny, you're on speaker."

Cameron made a startled sound and Johnathan smiled. "Hey, Cam."

"Johnny-! Hi. Hey. I, uh, I didn't know you were. . ya know. . . listening."

"Well, I was. I am. Got something you want to talk about, bro? Maybe I could help you with this case that's got you so worked up," he offered.

Cam scoffed and tried to sound casual (and failed). "What? I'm- Pff. I'm not worked up over anything. Dina's- She-She's exaggerating." He was quiet for a moment and Johnathan could practically hear his twin rubbing the back of his head like he often did when he was nervous. "It's not the case, I'm trying to figure out, anyway. Not really. I know how they did it, I'm just trying to come up with a deception to _catch them_. But it's- It's no good! No matter what I come up with, Kaye keeps poking holes in everything, and if it's not Kaye, it's Gunter, and I don- I-I don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Whoa whoa whoa. Easy, Cam. It's okay. Take a breath. You'll figure it out, you always do," Johnathan said reassuringly.

"No, Johnny, _you_ figure it out! You're the one who always- And I can't! I can't do this without you, I don't know how!" Cameron must've taken his phone from Dina, because his voice got a lot louder suddenly.

Johnathan pulled the prison payphone away from his ear a bit. "Cam, that's not true-"

"What if I can't get you out?" Cameron asked loudly, drowning out his brother's words. "What if I screw up enough cases with the FBI, and they stop helping us, and I can't find M.W. and then you're stuck in there? What do I do then, Johnny?"

"Are you done?" Johnathan asked calmly.

". . . Yeah," Cam answered in a small voice.

"Good. First of all, you've figured out plenty of tricks on your own before, so don't give me that 'I can't do it without' bull. Second of all? You haven't screwed up a case yet-" More accurately, Cameron hadn't screwed up a case badly enough that he couldn't salvage it in the end. "-so why would you think you'll start now? And third, when have I ever been stuck anywhere?" Cameron didn't answer so he continued. "You know I could get out, if I wanted, Cam. If it turned out that you really couldn't clear me? . . I'd just leave," he finished quietly. "I know the situation isn't ideal-believe me, I know-but it's not like you can't ever talk to me. You know you can always call me, Cam. I got nothing but time here." A dry chuckle punctuated the end of that sentence.

"Yeah, but-"

"Nope." Johnathan's tone was firm and left no room. "No 'buts', no arguing. Brother knows best."

Cameron laughed harshly. "Now we both know **that's** not true."

"No arguing, remember?" Johnathan reminded him with a smirk. "Alright. Now that you've calmed down a little, why don't you walk me through the case and the deception you're thinking of doing? I'll help you iron out the details." As Cameron started laying it all out, Johnathan pulled out their dad's old coin and started tapping it against the small metal cubicle. He leaned in close so his brother would be sure to hear it.

"What's that sound?" Cameron asked distractedly.

"Don't worry about it, keep talking." Johnathan didn't miss a beat and Cameron calmed down more and more as he continued tapping. By the time Cameron was done explaining the details of his planned illusion, his voice was almost back to normal. "I don't know what you were so worried about," Johnathan said bluntly. "Have Gunter come in a few seconds earlier, and it sounds like a solid plan to me."

"Really?" There was that hopefulness in his voice that Johnathan knew and loved (and occasionally found exasperating).

"I'm not exactly known for giving false praise, am I?"

Cameron laughed again, sincerely this time. "No, not really. Though it wouldn't **kill you** to sugar coat it a little every now and then."

"That's what Dina's for," Johnathan teased.

"Still on speaker, love," Dina chimed in suddenly.

"You know it's true, D," Johnathan said with no shame at all. He looked up and saw one of the guards eyeing him. "Listen, I better go, Cam. Don't wanna keep the other prisoners waiting. They've got girls to call. You good?"

"Yeah. . Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Johnny."

"Any time. If you need me, you know where to find me."

". . . Hopefully not for too much longer," Cameron said quietly before ending the call.

* * *

 _This chapter was much easier to write! Hooray! I'll keep posting as I get inspiration for these little one-shots. If you ever have suggestions/requests, feel free to let me know in the reviews :)_

 _In the meantime, I may be posting another story (also in the Deception world) soon!_


	9. It's Gonna Be Okay

_This chapter is somewhat inspired by the finale. Don't worry, though, there's no spoilers for it other than the confirmation of Sebastian's death and WHEN that death occurred (the year, at least)._

* * *

 _Cameron_ got the call (of course he did, the world thought he was Sebastian's only family) but **Johnathan** was the one who answered when the unknown number appeared on the screen. "Hello? . . . Yes, this is Sebastian's son. Who's this?" Johnathan demanded. Cameron turned around with a slight crease in brow. Why was someone calling about Dad? Something Cameron couldn't quite read showed in his brother's face and it had him crossing the room and standing closer than normal so he could try to hear the conversation.

"What's-?" Cameron tried to ask but Johnathan shook his head.

"Okay. Thanks for calling. . . No, there's- There's no one else. It's just me." Johnny lowered the phone and ended the call. When he looked up at Cam, he looked worried.

"Johnny?"

"You should sit down, Cam." Johnathan squeezed his brother's shoulder before wrapping an arm around him and leading Cameron to the couch.

Cameron allowed himself to be led over to the couch, and even to be sat down by his brother, but he needed answers and he wasn't waiting any longer to get them. "Who was that?" The question burst out of him suddenly, and it led to many more. "Why did they call? What's going on? Is- It was about Dad, right? Did something happen, is he hurt?"

Some of those questions were sort of repeating themselves, and Johnathan didn't want to keep his brother in suspense, so he settled for answering just the last question. "No. . Dad's not hurt." Which was true, technically. You couldn't hurt when you were dead.

Cameron sighed with relief and leaned back into the couch. "Okay, so what was the call about, then? Did he want us-or me, I guess-to meet him somewhere? Is he planning out a new trick-?"

"He's not **hurt** , Cam," Johnathan interrupted his brother. He just had to do it, get it over with. _Like a Band-Aid,_ he told himself. "He's. . He's dead."

Cameron smiled at him, but it was strange; strained. It was that smile Cameron got where he wasn't sure how to react because he wasn't sure what was going on. Johnathan felt something in his chest tighten because he knew what his twin was going to say. "Tha- That's. . That's a good one, Johnny. Really. Hilarious."

"Cam."

"No, really, it's great. You and Dad are messing with me. . I've wanted you to get along for years, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Cameron."

"No." Cameron jumped up from the couch like it had shocked him when Johnathan tried to put a hand on his shoulder. He took a couple of steps back when his brother stood up, too. "No. No, he-he. . he's not. . _He can't be-_ "

"It's okay, Cam," Johnathan said calmly. He reached out, but his hands were knocked away by his brother's flailing arms.

"NO!" Cameron dashed around his brother to reach the couch and picked up his phone, which Johnathan had left on the cushion when they both stood up.

"What're you doing, Cam?" Johnathan asked calmly. Calm. How was he so damn calm when their father was supposedly dead? Supposedly. Because Cameron couldn't believe it. Not yet.

"Calling Dad," Cameron replied shakily. His hands trembled and it took him a few tries to actually dial their father's number. "Come on. . Come on, Dad. Pick up. . . Pick up, pick up, pick up." No answer. So Cameron dialed again. And again

Cameron sobbed when he got their father's voicemail again and stared at his cellphone which was clutched tightly in both hands; his fingers turned white from the force of the grip.

"Cam," Johnathan said gently. He only got a grunt in response and he knew that Cameron was trying very hard not to lose it. "It's okay." He slowly reached out to put a hand on Cameron's back as his brother shook his head hard. "It's _gonna be_ okay," Johnathan amended.

". . How?" It took a lot of effort for Cameron to get the one word out without falling apart. He turned his head just enough for Johnathan to see the tears in his twin's eyes. "How. . Johnny?" His bottom lip trembled and his whole body seemed to be vibrating with the pent-up emotions.

"Because." Johnathan's hand slide up Cam's spine, going from between his shoulder blades to the back of his neck. He reached around Cam to grab his arm and gently turned him around so they were facing each other straight on. "I said so. Have I ever lied to you, Cam?" His brother shook his head. "Do you think I'd start now?" Cameron shuddered and shook his head again. Johnathan shook his head too. "No. I wouldn't." He pulled Cam closer so they could touch foreheads. "It's gonna be okay."

Cameron blinked and the tears finally fell. He dropped his head to Johnathan's shoulder and just leaned into him. His phone was still clutched in his hands and he could seem to let go, so he couldn't return the strong hug his brother gave him.

"It's gonna be okay," Johnathan promised again.

* * *

"I can't do this," Cameron said for the fifth time that morning.

"Yes, you can," Johnathan assured his brother as he straightened Cam's tie again; his brother kept pulling on it, loosening it, in his anxiety.

Cameron looked at him with wide eyes and shook his head. Johnathan caught his hand when he unconsciously reached up to loosen the tie yet again. Cam didn't seem to notice his brother holding his hand. "I can't do it-"

"You **can.** "

"Not without you!"

"I can't be with you, Cam, you know that. There's gonna be a crap ton of paparazzi there trying to get a scoop on Dad's funeral. Do you really think that's the best time to reveal to the world that Sebastian Black hid his son in a closet for twenty years?"

Cameron looked lost as he tried to think of a response to that. "Why can't you go?" Cameron asked finally with a slight whine in his voice.

"Those camera rats are gonna be expecting tears. . . We both know I don't do tears," Johnathan replied bluntly. It was true, to an extent. Unlike Cameron, Johnathan hadn't shed a single tear for their dead father. He wasn't grieving like his brother. He was relieved, because he was finally **free.** They _both_ were free from their father's domineering presence. He understood his brother's pain though. Cameron had always been closer to their father (as close as the stiff man would allow) and he'd spent their entire lives chasing after any scrap of approval and affection he could get. Without that. . Cameron was in a tailspin, and Johnathan was doing his best to pull him out of it, or at least keep him from crashing.

"I need you there, Johnny."

"I don't know how-"

"There's gotta be a way," Cameron said desperately.

Johnathan sighed and unsurprisingly caved to his brother's needs. "We'll find a way. . . _I'll_ find a way."

* * *

Johnathan's way of being there for Cam without anyone knowing he was there, was quite simple. He wore some sunglasses, a baseball cap and pulled his hood up, then borrowed some tools from the groundskeeper at the cemetery where their father was being buried. He got as close as he dared and did the only thing he could think of; he tapped a shovel against a headstone for the duration of the funeral service.

He did his best to make it look like he was doing actual work, but it turned out it didn't really matter anyway. No one was paying attention to, what they thought was, an incompetent groundskeeper when a world famous magician was being buried and his only son was left to grieve his father alone. The hard part was that Cam was surrounded by vultures with cameras and tape recorders, so Johnathan couldn't see him. He couldn't tell if this was doing any good. It wasn't until Cameron got home that he got his answer.

"I couldn't see you," Cameron started softly.

"I'm sorry, man, I tried to get closer, but-"

"I sure heard you, though," he cut Johnathan off. There was a faint smile on his lips and Johnathan felt an immense sense of relief; he wasn't sure he'd ever see his brother smile again. "You should've seen some of their faces. . A couple of the paparazzi even offered to get you to stop- But I'm pretty sure that had more to do with them not being able to hear every juicy detail than them thinking you were disrespectful."

Johnathan smirked. "Glad I could help."

"Johnny, you have no idea." Cameron pulled him into a squeezing hug. "I couldn't have gotten through that without you." He didn't think he could get through _anything_ without his twin. "Thank you."

Johnny returned the hug just as tightly. "I had a promise to keep."

* * *

 _This was fun for me to right despite (or maybe because of) the heavy subject because it's always interesting to see how the brothers react so differently to the same situation. I'm not sure what the next chapter will be, I have a few vague ideas, but nothing that's making me burst with inspiration yet. If you have any suggestions/requests, feel free to let leave a review and let me know!_


End file.
